An "international coalition" seeking publicity worldwide of its opposition to plain packaging of tobacco products is actually an alliance of free-market organizations with numerous ties to the tobacco industry.

In an effort to block plain packaging laws coming into force across the world, the tobacco industry keeps pedalling propaganda about links to rising amounts of illicit tobacco.

Pictured: HMRC's estimate of the size of the illicit tobacco market in the UK, plotted alongside the price of a pack of 20 cigarettes (in 2014 GPP). The illicit market has consistently fallen at a time when tobacco prices have increased

A 17 percent increase in tobacco excise taxes is positive but even with the hike, Jamaica’s tobacco tax rate still falls short of the 70 percent of the price of the product recommended by the World Health Organization, says FCA member Jamaica Coalition for Tobacco Control (JCTC).